DARK WEB MONITORING: ESSENTIAL SAFEGUARD OR WASTED SPEND?

Megan Poljacik • June 26, 2025

With growing concerns about data breaches and stolen credentials, many businesses feel pressured to invest in services that claim to scan the dark web for leaked information. But before committing resources, it's worth asking whether these tools actually provide meaningful information or if they are an unproductive expenditure.


The dark web is a hidden part of the internet that you can’t reach with standard browsers or search engines. It operates using a system called Tor, which stands for The Onion Router. Tor keeps users anonymous by sending their internet traffic through several different servers around the world, encrypting the data each time. This makes it extremely difficult to trace who someone is or where they’re connecting from. Unlike regular websites that end in .com or .org, dark web sites usually end in .onion and require the Tor browser to access them. While some people use the dark web for legitimate reasons like protecting their privacy or avoiding censorship, it’s mostly associated with hosting illegal activities like online black markets, where stolen corporate data is sold. 

Dark web monitoring tools are often marketed as essential, but in reality, they offer limited value. Once your personal data has been exposed on the dark web, the damage is already done. Rather than relying on these reactive tools, a proactive approach is far more effective. Implementing 2 factor authentication and regularly updating your passwords and using strong, unique credentials for each account significantly reduces the risk of data breaches. In most cases, consistently practicing good password hygiene makes dark web monitoring unnecessary.


Investing in tools that directly enhance your organization’s cybersecurity—such as advanced threat detection, endpoint protection, employee training, and incident response—offers a far greater return than spending on dark web monitoring services. While monitoring may provide occasional alerts, focusing resources on proactive, preventative measures is a smarter and more impactful strategy for keeping your business secure in today’s evolving threat landscape.




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By Megan Poljacik • May 29, 2025
When it comes to protecting your company’s infrastructure, two commonly used terms often cause confusion: vulnerability management and penetration testing. While they both serve the same purpose of keeping your data secure, they work very differently. Think of your company’s IT infrastructure like a museum that stores priceless artifacts. To keep it secure, you wouldn’t just install locks and hope for the best. You’d want to routinely check those locks, ensure windows are closed properly, and perhaps even hire someone to test how easy it is to break in. This is basically the difference between vulnerability management and penetration testing.